Autumn is in full force in Victoria and that means enjoying the flavours of fall!
The Fairmont Empress’s cocktail lounge, Q Bar, has just released their new fall feature cocktail list which includes some seasonally fruity concoctions, a Halloween cocktail reminiscent of apple pie and a lavished cocktail experience with a price tag of $399.
Their Halloween special cocktail this year tastes like apple pie in a glass.
The ‘Poisoned Apple’ is a reference to the apple in the Disney classic Snow White which renders the protagonist unconscious and thought to be dead before her Prince Charming can wake her from her slumber with a kiss.
It is made with Sortilege maple syrup whiskey for some sweetness, along with a house-made spiced apple cider, bitter orange liqueur and black currant liqueur served over crushed ice and garnished with a twist of a bright red apple.
The bitter orange and black currant liqueurs sit nicely in the bottom of the glass to make you feel like it is a spell-binding potion you are drinking, rather than a cocktail.
This cocktail is served in a stemless wine glass with a skeletal hand gripping the drink for an added timely touch.
The Poisoned Apple was aptly launched on Friday the 13th, and will only be on their menu until Halloween on Tuesday, October 31st.
Assistant Bar Manager, Mel Wickson, is the mastermind behind these drinks.
She says that since the fall menu launched at the end of September, these drinks have been home runs with their customers.
‘In Omnia Paratus’ is Wickson’s favourite one of the bunch, which she created with inspiration from a classic fall-vibe TV show.
“I always like to bring a story to each cocktail I’m doing,” Wickson told Victoria Buzz. “In Omnia Paratus is a Latin saying, it means be prepared in all things.”
“It’s actually a reference to Gilmore Girls, because what else do you do in the fall but watch Gilmore Girls,” she laughed.
“There’s an episode where the main character [Rory] goes off and gets kidnapped as she’s doing an article on a secret society at Yale, and they just say In Omnia Paratus through the whole episode.”
This drink is made of two house-made spirit infusions along with some citrus, sweetness and a touch of herbaceousness.
The infusions are a sage infused Belvedere vodka which balances nicely with an orange vanilla grove tea infused Aperol.
It also includes lime juice, blackberry syrup and a splash of orange juice to help bring out that tea infusion’s flavour.
Another hit amongst the staff and customers has been the ‘Before I Fall’ cocktail.
This one Wickson explained is named after a novel of the same name, written by American author Lauren Oliver.
This book resonated with Wickson as a stand-out novel that reminds her of fall, and she said it doesn’t hurt that fall is literally in the name of the book. As she sought inspiration for the fall menu, it was a no-brainer for her.
It’s a juicy, easy-drinking libation made with local spirit, Sheringham Sea Side gin, Grand Marnier and pomegranate juice for sweetness, coconut cream, lime juice for some citrus and some cardamom coffee bitters.
It’s served on ice in a rocks glass with three mint leaves garnishing the glass amongst the frothy head on the cocktail from the shaken coconut cream.
One thing the Q Bar always makes sure to include to give their customers a real taste of the finer things in life, is a cocktail with a high price tag that is a true experience that can be found nowhere else in Victoria.
Until they roll out the winter menu, that lavished, decadent libation is the ‘Last Train to Paris.’
This cocktail is $399, but comes with gold flaked, house made macarons and blackberries on a golden platter with a lit up Eiffel Tower replica statue.
The main reason for its high cost is the cost of the ingredients that go into it.
The main spirit is Hennessy Paradis, which Wickson says is known for its voluptuous aroma and goes for around $1,700 per bottle.
The Last Train to Paris also includes Eau De Vie blended brandy, Veuve Clicquot Champagne which costs around $90 per bottle, Grand Marnier for sweetness and a Armagnac spritz.
Armagnac is the oldest recorded brandy, and liquor, to be distilled with its recipe dating back to 1310.
The cocktail is made right in front of you by a skilled member of the bar team who will tell you about the ingredients as they shake the cocktail at the table and pour it for you.
The gold rimmed glass is then garnished with a cluster of honey melon pearls on a golden apparatus.
The Q Bar also has several mainstay signature cocktails and a whole section of drinks that utilize locally distilled Empress 1908 in riffs on classic gin cocktails.
Aside from the Poisoned Apple, these cocktails will be available until December and they are all perfectly created and crafted by a passionate team who’s ultimate goal is to give their customers an unforgettable experience in Victoria.
